Fairburn in Bridlington, Yks., and Ontario, Canada with DNA Match raising hopes

[DianaCanada]

Decided to tackle this brick wall from my husband’s family tree.  He descends from Thomas Fairburn (some later descendants spell it Fairbairn) who settled in Normanby Township, Ontario sometime before he married Catherine Kirby on 9 Sep 1865.  They later lived in near by Guelph, Wellington Co., Ontario.
Thomas likely lied about his age when he married, stated as 29 and Catherine as 18.  Later records put his birth date as closer to 1831.  His death record states he died 16 Dec 1918, Guelph, b. England, age 87, so b. 1831 or at the very end of 1830.
On his marriage his parents were listed as Francis and Sarah Fairburn.
I have found a Francis and Sarah Fairburn at Bridlington, Yorkshire with several children baptized, but sadly, no Thomas. 
However, recently OH had a DNA match to a descendant of William Fairburn, one of Francis and Sarah’s children.  They share 29 cM.  While this match has other family lines from the area of Hull, Yks., I don’t see how any of the others would match (OH’s British Isles ancestors have been in North America since at least Thomas' marriage and some of them go back to the US colonial period).
Any opinions on whether I am on the right track, that Thomas is the son of Francis and Sarah?  I do need to trace the other children of Francis and Sarah, but all his Fairburn matches are connected to Thomas and his wife Catherine.

[DianaCanada]

Just to add, there is a Thomas Fairburn of the right age in 1861, bachelor, 29, in Etobicoke Township, Ontario, east of Guelph (now swallowed up b Toronto), labourer, b. England.  Have no proof that this is he, but do not find him in England in 1851 of 1861.
He is boarding with a Thomas and Grace Cross, both b. England, but no info. could be found on their origins. 

[Ian999]

Dianacanada,
I am a Fairbairn on my mother’s side (born in Glasgow and living near Toronto) so your post caught my interest.

If you haven’t done so already you must take a look at the One Name Study managed by Lorna Henderson (in NZ!). You can find it at

www.fairbairn.lornahen.com

It looks like all of them originated near Kelso Scotland and spread around the World from there. Specifically check the many lineages she documents.

[DianaCanada]

Thank you Ian.  I will check it out.  I know there are quite a number of Fairburns in Yorkshire so wondering if it is a separate name.
I knew a Fairbairn family when growing up in Quebec. The girls delighted in telling people their name meant “pretty child”.

[LornaHen]

Hi DianaCanada,
Just found this thread.
Fairbairn and Fairburn are fairly interchangeable and can be found recorded as either, although generally in Scotland they seem to mainly stay as Fairbairn but if they migrate south, somehow many morph into Fairburn!
I've long wondered whether the Yorkshire families are connected to those from the Scottish Borders that are well represented in the DNA project (https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/fairbairn/about)
All lines, all DNA tests, are welcome in the project although the public results are only those for yDNA tested males at FamilyTreeDNA.
FTDNA offer a free upload from tests at the other companies (Ancestry, MyHeritage, 23andme), with a small one-off fee, often reduced during sales to unlock the tools beyond match list and contact details of your matches.
https://www.familytreedna.com/autosomal-transfer

Should you come across a direct male line descendant of your husband's Thomas, get them to take a y37 test at FTDNA for starters to get a feel for which family they may match, or not as the case may be. There are many lines not yet represented.

Lorna

[Rena]

I was born and bred in Yorkshire where a child was known as a "bairn".  I think, when surnames were compulsory in 1068, the "lovely child" surname of Fairbairn/Fairburn was kept.

Bridlington was always known as a fishing port and in the days when the quickest method of travel was sailing along rivers and sea it's  quite feasible for children to be born in different places. Where possible the first child would be born into this world with the help of the child's maternal grandmother.  Thus census gives clues of where earlier generations lived.

In my OHs ancestry there were 18 children born to one set of parents.  The first few were given the normal naming pattern and then I recognised names of her childhood friends and even the captain who lived next door when mother was a child was donated to her children.

First son – named after the father’s father
First daughter – named after the mother’s mother
Second son – named after the mother’s father
Second daughter – named after the father’s mother
Third son – named after the father
Third daughter – named after the mother
Fourth son – named after the father’s eldest brother
Fourth daughter – named after the mother’s eldest sister

[DianaCanada]

Lorna, thank you for getting in touch, there a few male matches on my OH’s DNA with the surname Fairburn: don’t know them personally of course, but could suggest the DNA project.

Rena, am convinced OH is part of the Bridlington family, funny thing is, I also have an ancestor born there, think it was around 1795, his parents had come from other villages in East Yorkshire.  His father was a ship’s carpenter, so certainly had plenty of work, he did prosper.  I descend from one son (William Ford) who was a turner but ended up in Halifax, Yorks., no idea why, but likely went where the work was, perhaps Halifax was booming.  His sister did marry someone from there as well, so might have been some connection.

OH and I have another town in common, Chipping, Lancs., both having ancestors there.  The families likely knew each other.  OH last English ancestor arrived in Canada before 1850, so a bit of a coincidence, my ancestry is all English, parents born in England.

[Spelk]

I had a look at the family. The following may be of use the others who wish to help.

Marriage Bridlington 23 Jan 1819 Francis FAIRBURN Mariner & Sarah TOPHAM

Baptism William FAIRBURN 1 Sep 1820 Bridlington son of Francis, Mariner & Sarah abode Bridlington Quay.
(William married Mary Ann COCKRANE in 1847)

Burial at Bridlington 17 Aug 1831 Francis FAIRBURN abode Quay, age 44

Baptism John Topham FAIRBURN 31 Aug 1831 Bridlington son of the late Francis FAIRBURN Mariner & Sarah.

Baptism of Sarah FAIRBURN at Bridlngton 1935 to Sarah.

Death Sarah FAIRBURN age 43 q1 1838 Bridlington

1941 census, Bridlington Workhouse: John FAIRBURN age 9 & Sarah FAIRBURN age 6

It might be that John Topham FAIRBURN became known as “Tom” (short for "Topham") and this ended up with him taking Thomas as his forename. Hard to prove but seems like best explanation.

Added:
Children of Francis and Sarah baptised at Bridlington:
William 1 Sep 1820
Francis 26 Jun 1822 (buried 21 May 1836 age 13)
Elizabeth 5 Feb 1825
Emma 8 Nov 1827 (Francis is Customs House Officer)
John Topham 31 Aug 1831
Sarah 26 July 1835 (illegitimate daur of Sarah, Widow)

[DianaCanada]

Spelk, thank you very much for organizing these baptisms and deaths from the Bridlington records.  I do like your theory about John Topham Fairburn - perhaps his mother called him Topham and everyone else shortened it to Tom and he may have not even realized his true name, as he was orphaned very young.  The age does match, and along with the DNA connection to a descendant of William his brother, it seems quite likely this is the correct family.

I did a little digging and found Francis and Sarah's daughter Emma's marriage on ANC to a George Darbyshire.  They lived in York and had a number of children.  Haven't located a DNA connection there to verify it completely, but looks good.  She gives her bp as Bridlington on censuses and father Francis when she marries.  I still have the other children Sarah and Elizabeth to look for as well, hopefully they had children and descendants with DNA matches.

Thanks for everyone's help.